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35-482: The Pine Point Mine is located on the south shore of Great Slave Lake between Hay River to the west and Fort Resolution to the east, in the Northwest Territories of Canada. It produced lead and zinc ores from a Mississippi Valley Type deposit between 1964 and 1988. Most of the mining was done by open-pit methods. The town of Pine Point was built by the mining company, Cominco , and when

70-419: A Soviet Radar Ocean Reconnaissance Satellite , named Kosmos 954 , built with an onboard nuclear reactor fell from orbit and disintegrated. Pieces of the nuclear core fell in the vicinity of Great Slave Lake. Some of the nuclear debris was recovered by a joint Canadian Armed Forces and United States Armed Forces military operation called Operation Morning Light. In the late 2010s, many placenames within

105-682: A 20 km (12 mi) belt. The Government of Canada built the Great Slave Railway from Grimshaw, Alberta to the mine; construction started in 1962 and was completed in 1964, at which time it was made part of the then- Crown Corporation , the Canadian National Railway (CN Rail). The railway line was sold by CN Rail to become a short line named the Mackenzie Northern Railway , but was later reacquired by CN Rail. Official production at

140-610: A maximum recorded depth in Christie Bay of 614 m (2,014 ft). On some of the plains surrounding Great Slave Lake, climax polygonal bogs have formed, the early successional stage to which often consists of pioneer black spruce . South of Great Slave Lake, in a remote corner of Wood Buffalo National Park , is the Whooping Crane Summer Range , a nesting site of a remnant flock of whooping cranes , discovered in 1954. The Slave River provides

175-406: A mean depth of 32.2 m (106 ft). To the east, McLeod Bay ( 62°52′N 110°10′W  /  62.867°N 110.167°W  / 62.867; -110.167  ( McLeod Bay, Great Slave Lake ) ) and Christie Bay ( 62°32′N 111°00′W  /  62.533°N 111.000°W  / 62.533; -111.000  ( Christie Bay, Great Slave Lake ) ) are much deeper, with

210-402: Is doloimite which contains significant trace levels of iron. Due to the similar ionic radii of iron(II) and magnesium , iron(II) can easily substitute magnesium to form ferroan dolomite; manganese can also substitute this atom. The result can be defined as ankerite . The exact delineation between which minerals are considered ferroan dolomite and which are ankerite is unclear. Ankerite with

245-433: Is dolomite which has more calcium than magnesium in its mineral form. This is the most common form of dolomite found naturally and artificially from synthesis . This dolomite, when formed in the oceans, can prove to be metastable . The resultant structure of this mineral presents minimal differences from regular dolomite likely as a result of formation after initial crystal growth. Iron-rich dolomite, or ferroan dolomite,

280-465: Is done in paleoclimatology . Carbonate rocks can also be used for understanding various other systems as described below. Limestone is the most common carbonate rock and is a sedimentary rock made of calcium carbonate with two main polymorphs : calcite and aragonite. While the chemical composition of these two minerals is the same, their physical properties differ significantly due to their different crystalline form . The most common form found in

315-525: Is expected to invest $ 154 million into the mine and would employ 320 workers at full capacity. The company highlighted cost savings from the nearby highway and railroad constructed previously for the mine in 1980s as well as the electricity generated from the hydroelectric project from Taltson River . The mine was acquired by Osisko Metals in December 2017 and further exploration is underway to delineate potential for further development. The Pine Point Project

350-552: Is impacting the populations of these species. Copepoda are also prevalent in the lake. Rivers that flow into Great Slave Lake include (going clockwise from the community of Behchokǫ̀ ): Great Slave Lake has one ice road known as the Dettah ice road. It is a 6.5 km (4.0 mi) road that connects the Northwest Territories capital of Yellowknife to Dettah , a small First Nations fishing community also in

385-532: Is localized in solution-collapse ( karst ) structures where sulfide minerals preferentially replaced some of the carbonate host rocks , dolomite and limestone ), of the Presqu'ile Formation . Minerals present include galena , sphalerite , marcasite , pyrite , dolomite , calcite , sulphur and bitumen . The sulfide minerals were probably deposited by hydrothermal fluids that rose along an underlying shear zone . Great Slave Lake Great Slave Lake

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420-423: Is now owned by Pine Point Mining, a joint venture between Osisko Metals and Appian Natural Resources, that was formed in 2023. The Pine Point deposit is a carbonate-hosted lead-zinc ore deposits (Mississippi Valley Type deposit)]]. It consists of a series of more than 80 bodies of lead-zinc mineralization distributed along a trend about 65 km (40 mi) long by about 24 km (15 mi) wide. The ore

455-630: Is the second-largest lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada (after Great Bear Lake ), the deepest lake in North America at 614 m (2,014 ft), and the tenth-largest lake in the world by area. It is 469 km (291 mi) long and 20 to 203 km (12 to 126 mi) wide. It covers an area of 27,200 km (10,500 sq mi) in the southern part of the territory. Its given volume ranges from 1,070 km (260 cu mi) to 1,580 km (380 cu mi) and up to 2,088 km (501 cu mi) making it

490-676: The 10th or 12th largest by volume. The lake shares its name with the First Nations peoples of the Dene family called Slavey by their enemies the Cree . Towns situated on the lake include (clockwise from east) Łutselk'e , Fort Resolution , Hay River , Hay River Reserve , Behchokǫ̀ , Yellowknife , Ndilǫ , and Dettah . The only community in the East Arm is Łutselk'e, a hamlet of about 350 people, largely Chipewyan Indigenous peoples of

525-544: The Northern Plano tradition (8,000 years before present), Shield Archaic tradition (6,500 years), Arctic small tool tradition (3,500 years), and the Taltheilei Shale tradition (2,500 years before present). Each culture has left a distinct mark in the archaeological record based on type or size of lithic tools. Great Slave Lake was put on European maps during the emergence of the fur trade towards

560-544: The greenhouse effect . There is significant amount of research studying the ideal quantity of calcium carbonate (derived from limestone) in concrete and if other compounds can be used to provide the same economic and structural integrity benefits. Many forms of paleoclimatology exist whereby carbonate rocks can be used to determine past climate. Corals and sediments are well-known proxies for these reconstructions. Corals are marine organisms with calcium carbonate skeletons (rocks) which grow specific to oceanic conditions at

595-503: The "pure" CaFe(CO 3 ) 2 chemical formula has yet to be found in nature . Carbonate rocks are significant for both human understanding of Earth's atmospheric and geologic history, in addition to providing humans with significant resources for current civilizational endeavors such as concrete . Limestone is often used in concrete as powder due to its cheap cost. During the formation of concrete, however, breakdown of limestone releases carbon dioxide and contributes significantly to

630-460: The Dene Nation, and the abandoned winter camp and Hudson's Bay Company post Fort Reliance . Along the south shore, east of Hay River is the abandoned Pine Point Mine and the company town of Pine Point . Indigenous peoples were the first settlers around the lake after the retreat of glacial ice. Archaeological evidence has revealed several different periods of cultural history, including

665-412: The East Arm into McLeod Bay in the north and Christie Bay in the south. The lake is at least partially frozen during an average of eight months of the year. The main western portion of the lake forms a moderately deep bowl with a surface area of 18,500 km (7,100 sq mi) and a volume of 596 km (143 cu mi). This main portion has a maximum depth of 187.7 m (616 ft) and

700-457: The Northwest Territories were restored to their indigenous names. It has been suggested that the lake be renamed as well, particularly because of the mention of slavery. "Great Slave Lake is actually a very terrible name, unless you're a proponent of slavery," says Dëneze Nakehk'o, a Northwest Territories educator and founding member of First Nations organization Dene Nahjo. "It's a beautiful place. It's majestic; it's huge. And I don't really think

735-706: The Northwest Territories. To reach the community in summer the drive is 27 km (17 mi) via the Ingraham Trail . From 2014 to 2016, Animal Planet aired a documentary series called Ice Lake Rebels . It takes place on Great Slave Lake, and details the lives of houseboaters on the lake. Carbonate rock Carbonate rocks are also crucial components to understanding geologic history due to processes such as diagenesis in which carbonates undergo compositional changes based on kinetic effects . The correlation between this compositional change and temperature can be exploited to reconstruct past climate as

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770-469: The aragonite of coral skeleton can be used, alongside other proxies like oxygen isotopic ratios , to reconstruct climate variability when the coral was growing. This is because Strontium will sometimes substitute for Calcium in the calcium carbonate molecule depending on temperature effects. Similar to the concept for using compositional changes in coral skeletons as proxies for climate conditions, compositional changes in marine sediments can be used for

805-475: The basin with high nutrient levels; accordingly, coupled with a general absence of pollution and invasive species, the lake is rich in aquatic life relative to its biome. Fish species include lake whitefish , lake trout , inconnu , northern pike and walleye , cisco , burbot , ninespine stickleback , shiner , also longnose sucker . Lake whitefish enjoy the highest levels, followed by cisco and suckers. Climate change , specifically reduced ice coverage times,

840-639: The current name on the map is fitting for that place." He has suggested Tu Nedhé, the Dene Soline name for the lake, as an alternative. Tucho, the Dehcho Dene term for the lake, has also been suggested. The Hay , Slave (which in turn includes the Peace ), Lockhart , and Taltson Rivers are its chief tributaries. It is drained by the Mackenzie River . Though the western shore is forested,

875-571: The east shore and northern arm are tundra -like. The southern and eastern shores reach the edge of the Canadian Shield . Along with other lakes such as the Great Bear and Athabasca , it is a remnant of the vast glacial Lake McConnell . The lake has a very irregular shoreline. The East Arm of Great Slave Lake is filled with islands, and the area is within the proposed Thaidene Nene National Park Reserve . The Pethei Peninsula separates

910-529: The existing rock grains together or it can fill fractures. Compared to calcite, aragonite is less stable and more soluble , and can thus be converted to calcite under certain conditions. In solution, magnesium ions can act as promoters of aragonite growth as they inhibit calcite precipitation . Often this inhibited precipitation occurs in biology where organisms aim to precipitate calcium carbonate for their structural features such as for skeleton and shells . The discovery of dolomite rock, or dolostone ,

945-402: The mine closed the town was abandoned and demolished. The Pine Point ore deposit was discovered in the late 19th century by fur traders at Fort Resolution who learned of the lead ores from the First Nations . A minor staking rush occurred in 1898 when Klondike prospectors heard rumours of silver at the location. There was no silver to be found, and although the lead ore was very rich, it

980-485: The mine commenced in 1965. Cominco built its own townsite which became known as Pine Point. It became a territorial settlement with private businesses, and boasted a population of nearly 2,000 at its peak. When the mine closed in 1988, the single-industry town was forced to close, and the rail spur was removed. The mine produced and shipped 10,785,000 tons of lead and zinc concentrates / high-grade ores after mining and milling 69,416,000 tons of ore material. Contained metal

1015-646: The northwest from Hudson Bay in the mid 18th century. The name 'Great Slave' came from the English-language translation of the Cree exonym , Awokanek ( Slavey ), which they called the Dene Tha. The Slavey people were Dene tribes living on the lake's southern shores at that time. As the French explorers dealt directly with the Cree traders, the large lake was referred to as "Grand lac des Esclaves" which

1050-512: The seafloor is calcite, while aragonite is more found in biological organisms. Calcite can be either dissolved by groundwater or precipitated by groundwater, depending on several factors including the water temperature , pH , and dissolved ion concentrations. Calcite exhibits an unusual characteristic called retrograde solubility in which it becomes less soluble in water as the temperature increases. When conditions are right for precipitation, calcite forms mineral coatings that cement

1085-404: The time of growth. Diagenesis refers to the process whereby sediments are being converted to sedimentary rock. This includes biological activity, erosion, and other chemical reactions. Due to the strong correlation between diagenesis and seawater temperature , coral skeletons can be used as proxies for understanding past climate effects. Specifically, the ratio of Strontium to Calcium in

Pine Point Mine - Misplaced Pages Continue

1120-451: Was approximately 2 million tons of lead and 7 million tons of zinc. In the 2000s, Tamerlane Ventures Inc. purchased the mine in the hopes of restarting the operations. The effort failed due to low metal prices at the time and the company filed for bankruptcy. Darnley Bay Resources Ltd. purchased the project for $ 8 million in December 2016 and hired about 20 staff in neighbouring communities for exploratory drilling and line cutting. The company

1155-600: Was eventually translated into English as "Great Slave Lake". In the 1930s, gold was discovered on the North Arm of Great Slave Lake, leading to the establishment of Yellowknife which would become the capital of the NWT . In 1960, an all-season highway was built around the west side of the lake, originally an extension of the Mackenzie Highway but now known as Yellowknife Highway or Highway 3. On January 24, 1978,

1190-528: Was first published in 1791 and has been found across the Earth's crust from various different time periods . Because the rock is made of calcium , magnesium , and carbonate ions, the mineral crystalline structure can be visualized similar to calcite and magnesite . Due to this composition, the dolomite mineral present in dolostone can be classified by varying degree of calcium inclusion, and occasionally iron, too. Calcium-rich dolomite, or calcian dolomite,

1225-578: Was not feasible to mine the isolated deposit without good transportation to the south. The first major exploration work was done in 1928–1930 when several short shafts were sunk and a churn drill was brought to the area to drill into the rich ores. That work was halted by the Great Depression . Geological investigation by Cominco after World War II led to new theories of how the ore deposits were hosted, and by 1955 an extensive exploration program had outlined several thousand tons of ore along

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